Auburn Oaks

Today is a sad day in Auburn.  I think ESPN said it best:

"There was a funeral at the intersection of Magnolia Avenue and College Street this weekend, and thousands of people traveled great distances to be here, determined to say a final goodbye to a pair of old friends. Many took pictures, hoping to freeze the moment in time, while others paused to say a few words before offering a final gesture of love.

Few tears, however, were shed, despite the finality of the day, and the undercurrent of sadness touched all who attended. Everywhere you looked, people were hugging and smiling, soaking up the sunshine on an afternoon when the sky was immaculately blue. Yes, technically, this was a living wake for the 130-year-old oak trees that have marked the entrance to Auburn University since its inception, but, primarily, it was meant to be a celebration.

The rolling of Toomer's Corner, and the majestic trees that have stood here for generations like twin sentinels, has always been an act of joy, not sorrow. To say goodbye without one last act of revelry would have felt like a betrayal. And so thousands stood -- shoulder to shoulder, at times -- and blanketed the trees with reams of toilet paper.  The final rolling was the centerpiece of Auburn's A-Day festivities, which were kicked off by the Tigers' spring football game, watched by a record crowd of 83,401.

No one can pin down exactly when the tradition began of celebrating big football wins with the rolling of Toomer's Corner. Even Auburn historians concede its origins are somewhat murky. Legend has it students would gather outside Toomer's Drugstore in the late 1890s to await word of Auburn road victories, and when good news would arrive by telegraph, fans would string ticker tape over the power lines to celebrate. At some point in the late 1960s or early 1970s, students began launching rolls of toilet paper into the trees to revel in victory, and when Auburn knocked off undefeated Alabama in the 1972 Iron Bowl, the ritual was solidified."

There's not much I can say except I believe in Auburn and love it!